Malcolm named chair of Radiation Oncology
Following an intensive appointment process, Arnold Malcolm, M.D., has been named chair of Vanderbilt's Department of Radiation Oncology. Malcolm has served as interim chair since May 2009 following the departure of Dennis Hallahan, M.D.
“Arnold Malcolm represents the best and brightest in the field of Radiation Oncology,” said Jeff Balser, M.D., Ph.D., vice chancellor for Health Affairs and dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
“Arnold is a great leader and colleague and I am confident he will be an outstanding chair. We have been fortunate to have him as a distinguished member of our Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center faculty during a period of phenomenal growth and progress for cancer research and treatment at Vanderbilt,” Balser said.
Arnold Malcolm, M.D.
“I am excited by this opportunity to contribute to the wonderful legacy of the Department of Radiation Oncology,” said Malcolm. “We have an amazing team of seasoned clinicians and staff, in addition to young scientists-in-training and I am thrilled about working with this group as we continue to enhance our national reputation for excellence in research and patient care.”
Malcolm has already set a new goal of making the department a national leader in patient care safety.
“Radiation is a powerful treatment tool but it must be used with precision so that our patients are protected,” explained Malcolm. “We are designing radiation treatment protocols that can be used as a blueprint or model for other medical centers' radiation safety programs.”
Malcolm received his medical degree from Meharry Medical College and completed his residency training at Harvard Medical School. He joined the Harvard faculty and was an investigator in the joint Harvard-M.I.T. Health Sciences and Technology Program. He later earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University of California at Irvine.
Malcolm's earliest experience at Vanderbilt came in 1971 when he served an externship in Radiation Oncology under the direction of William Campbell, M.D. Malcolm was hired by Vanderbilt in 1981 as chief of the Radiation Oncology Clinical Program.
In 1987, he moved to Southern California, where he practiced Radiation Oncology and was a faculty member at the University of Southern California and UCLA. He spent 18 years as co-owner of one of the largest radiation oncology groups in the country, and during those years he also served as medical director at four hospitals and as cancer center director at another hospital.
Malcolm returned to Vanderbilt in 2005 as medical director of the Vanderbilt Center for Radiation Oncology.
Over the years, Malcolm has served on several advisory panels and scientific committees for national organizations, including the National Cancer Institute, the Food and Drug Administration, the American College of Radiology and the American Cancer Society. He has published more than three dozen scientific papers and abstracts.
“With his new appointment, Arnold Malcolm has a place in VUMC history as our first African-American clinical department chair,” said Andre Churchwell, M.D., associate dean for Diversity in Graduate Medical Education and Faculty Affairs. “Throughout his career, Arnold has been recognized as a physician with an incisive mind, a capacity to lead and a deep commitment to patient care.”
“Arnold Malcolm is an outstanding scientist and clinician and he demonstrated his ability to manage a complex organization, respond to patient needs and handle a myriad of details when the Cancer Center's Radiation Oncology area was inundated during the Nashville flood,” said C. Wright Pinson, M.D., MBA, deputy vice chancellor for Health Affairs and senior associate dean for Clinical Affairs.
“Within 48 hours, patients were contacted individually, staff members were reassigned to our satellite locations and repair operations were under way. That response is just one indication of Arnold's ability to pull together a team, provide outstanding care to our patients and plan for the future needs of the department.”
“Cancer patients and faculty at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center have benefited tremendously from Arnold Malcolm's deep knowledge of Radiation Oncology and his commitment to excellence,” said Jennifer Pietenpol, Ph.D., director of VICC and professor of Biochemistry, Cancer Biology and Otolaryngology. “We are delighted to have someone with his skill and his caring attitude in a leadership position at VICC.”
Malcolm's appointment is effective immediately.